bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Organic Rooting Hormones, Aspirin uses for plants, etc..

G'day Hawthorn...

Just some mumbling, bumbling thoughts from the feeble mind of this seventy-something year old Ol' Sage...

"WILLOW MAGIC...tonic called 'willow water'...". This sounds like "snake oil" rather than something I would subject my bonsai to.

"...growing tips of willows contain high concentrations of IBA, depending on the quantity used and length of time you soak them. Any willow (Salix) tree or shrub species will work...". Very, VERY scientific, I must say. NOT!

"...gardeners reported all sorts of plants growing remarkably better when given regular doses of tiny amounts of aspirin (1 part to 10,000 parts water; larger doses actually proved toxic)...”. "Tiny amounts" and "larger does" just don't cut it for me when it relats to "proved toxic". Not for my bonsai.

"...Aspirin thus is an activator of ‘Systemic Acquired Resistance’ (SAR)...". Maybe my feeble mind and my failing eyes let me down, but, I don't see any logic that leads to the conclsion that "...aspirin thus is an activator...".

"...1:10,000 solution (3 aspirins dissolved in 4 gallons of water)...". I'm not a chemist, however, my feeble, inquiring mind wants to know...how does the 1/10,000 and 3/4?

And, "...Steep twigs in a half-gallon of boiling water overnight….You can also use lukewarm water and let twigs soak for 24-48 hours...". These instructions are very murky...unclear. Do you BOIL for...how many hours? And, how do you keep the water lukewarm...for 48 hours?

Finally...although none of my bonsai are world class, I wouldn't even consider subjecting them to any of the above...NEVER!

Again...Just some mumbling, bumbling thoughts from the feeble mind of this seventy-something year old Ol' Sage...

Pat

__________________
BONSAI isn't about surviving in a storm, rather, how to dance in the rain.
THE ONLY WAY: Always remember, and don't ever forget, that whatever you read here is not cast in concrete... the intent of any advice is to help. In no way should you feel that I’m saying that my way is the only way…heaven forbid! I've seen far too much of the "my way or the highway" attitude in bonsai as well as in other areas of life.

Pat Patterson...Bonsai in the Greater Bay Area, Northern California

4-Apr-2008	#3
PatArizona Bonsai Master, in my mind Join Date: Feb-2005 Location: Back Home in Northern California Country: USA Posts: 1,919	G'day Hawthorn... Just some mumbling, bumbling thoughts from the feeble mind of this seventy-something year old Ol' Sage... "WILLOW MAGIC...tonic called 'willow water'...". This sounds like "snake oil" rather than something I would subject my bonsai to. "...growing tips of willows contain high concentrations of IBA, depending on the quantity used and length of time you soak them. Any willow (Salix) tree or shrub species will work...". Very, VERY scientific, I must say. NOT! "...gardeners reported all sorts of plants growing remarkably better when given regular doses of tiny amounts of aspirin (1 part to 10,000 parts water; larger doses actually proved toxic)...”. "Tiny amounts" and "larger does" just don't cut it for me when it relats to "proved toxic". Not for my bonsai. "...Aspirin thus is an activator of ‘Systemic Acquired Resistance’ (SAR)...". Maybe my feeble mind and my failing eyes let me down, but, I don't see any logic that leads to the conclsion that "...aspirin thus is an activator...". "...1:10,000 solution (3 aspirins dissolved in 4 gallons of water)...". I'm not a chemist, however, my feeble, inquiring mind wants to know...how does the 1/10,000 and 3/4? And, "...Steep twigs in a half-gallon of boiling water overnight….You can also use lukewarm water and let twigs soak for 24-48 hours...". These instructions are very murky...unclear. Do you BOIL for...how many hours? And, how do you keep the water lukewarm...for 48 hours? Finally...although none of my bonsai are world class, I wouldn't even consider subjecting them to any of the above...NEVER! Again...Just some mumbling, bumbling thoughts from the feeble mind of this seventy-something year old Ol' Sage... Pat __________________ BONSAI isn't about surviving in a storm, rather, how to dance in the rain. THE ONLY WAY: Always remember, and don't ever forget, that whatever you read here is not cast in concrete... the intent of any advice is to help. In no way should you feel that I’m saying that my way is the only way…heaven forbid! I've seen far too much of the "my way or the highway" attitude in bonsai as well as in other areas of life. Pat Patterson...Bonsai in the Greater Bay Area, Northern California